Game



' 1. numf'nmnu, n.. No T. F. BAKER.

y GAME. APPLICATIDII FILED NUV- 6. 1920.

Patented Aug. 16,1921.

. at Alban UNITED .STATES `Parr-:Nr or'rlcia..A

JOHN RUTHEREORD, JR., AND THOMAS E. BAKER, 'OE ALBANY, NEW YORK, 4AssmNORs 'ro THE EMBOssING COMPANY, OE ALBANY, NEW YORK, A OOR.

-I`ERATION OF NEW YORK..

GAME.

Application filed November 6, 1920. Serial No. 422,325.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that we,'JoHN RUTHERFORD, Jr.,`and THOMAS F. BAKER, both citizens of the United States of America, both residin in the county of Albany an State of ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games, of

- which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to games of 'the' type in which an object is batted through the air, more particularly the type in which the object to be batted' is elongated in form, with pointed ends. In .some localities such an object is known as a"trigger, in others it is called a cat,y and doubtless has other names in other places. The object of the invention is to provide improved implements for games of the class referred to, introducing novel features which. will makethe implements more attractive and -will materially increase the interest to the players. To this -and other ends the invention consists in the-novel features and parts hereinafter described.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 shows the triggeror catin perspective.

Fig. 2 shows the bat or paddle, on a smaller scale.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the trigger, with the bat in section in the position in which it is about to strike the trigger to flip the latter into the air.

The trigger shown at 1() is a short block, preferably wood, square jor of other polygonal cross section. The ends of the trigger are tapered, and terminate in rounded or bulbous tips, 11, preferably spherical. It is desirable to have the tips composed of o1' covered with rubber. In playing, the trigger rests on the ground on one of its faces, as in Fig. 3, and is struck a quick blow on the end with the bat 12, lthus flipping the trigger up into the air so that 1t can be struck with the bat and be driven forward. This method of batting a-trigger is common and well known.

As stated, the trigger is polygonal in cross'` the colored or numbered faces of the trigger.

In the present instance the bands are indicated as` green, red, blue and white, respectively. In general the bands on the bat and the faces of the trigger should be thev same 1n number, and should correspond in color.

- The games and variations thereof that can be played with the two implements'or diners shown are almostv endless in number,

'from the most simple form of old cat or tip-cat to more complicated games, as will Specification of Letters Iatent. Patented Aug. 16|, 1921I be readily understood, and it is expected that the players will in this respect be guided largely by their own ideas. One method of play, very interesting and exciting to small boys, is as follows:

On the ground or pavement a circle is drawn, near which the batter takes his position; the other players, or fielders, (any number) taking position in front of him at suitable distances. One of the ielders, designated the pitcher, tosses the trigger toward the circle. If it comes to rest inside of or overlapping the circle, the batsman is out 'and retires to the field, the pitcher becoming batsman and the next fielder, in a predetermined order, becoming pitcher. As the pitcher tosses the trigger to the circle he names a color. If this color in the trigger comes up, the batsman is out, whether or not the trigger lands in the circle. If another color comes up (the trigger landing wholly outside the circle) the batsman in flipping and batting the trigger must hold the bat with his forefinger in contact with the designated color, and he is. allowed as many strikes or tries as the number of spots on the uppermost face. Thus, if the pitcher, as he delivers the trigger, calls white but red comes up, the batsman gets four tries but must hold the bat with his forenger on the red band or stripe'. If the batted trigger is cau ht on the y by a fielder the batter is out. ,Elf not caught, or if a grounder is batted, the batsman is out if he' cannot run to a designated base and back to the circle .i

l before the trigger is fielded'and thrown in or placed the circle. If the trigger has an odd number of flat faces the pitcher has two chances (out of three, or five, etc., as the case may be) of the color named coming up, andthe batter may have a greater nuint berof strikes, say the sum of the pips on the two faces, ormay have a choice as to color or as to number of strikes.

- Obviously, the game describedcan be varied almost indefinitely, and we do not regard ourinvention as limited to any particular game, or method of use or play, or

to any particular rules, or any vparticular method of scoring, or to lany particular use or method of use.

The .rounded or enlarged ends of the trigv ger' are verydesirable features, as they greatlyincrease thev ease `of flipping the device in tothe air', the enlargement forming a lsortof pivot' on which the trigger turns as it strikes the grounder under the impactof the batl The enlargements also practically eliminatekthe danger of any serious injury to a fielder if he 'is struck by the trigger, a A,small bruise beingabout the -worst that can happen, whereas the sharp point of a trigger ofv theold type sometimes iniicts a deep cut v ortear.l

eo:` I islnot limitedto the specific features herein described but can` be embodied- Ain bther 1t-f8" understood that the invention formswithout'departure from its spirit.

eclaim: l 1.` game voutfit comprising a trigger of l'I'Jolygonal cross section, and a bat, the faces on the trigger andspaced areas of the bat being marked to correspond, whereby the faces of the trigger are identified with or correspond to. particular areas on the. bat, and vice versa.

2. A gameoutfit as set polygonal cross section, and a bat, the faces of the trigger'being colored in .different colors and the bat having spaced areas colored 'to correspond with the colored trigger faces.

6. A game outfit as set forth 1n claim 5,

lforth in claim- 1, A Ain which at least one face of the trigger 1s' in which the faces of the trigger are also marked with different numbers of spots.

7. A game device consisting of an elon`' gated member of,v polygonal cross section,

having flat faces differently colored and bearing spots in different numbers, and having sharply tapering ends terminating in relatively small p substantially .spherical env lar ements.

n testimony whereof we hereto affix cui` signatures.

JOHN RUTHERFORD, JR. THOMAS F. BAKER, 

